Alumni Recognition

This Memorial Day weekend, fans across the country will tune in for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500. While race fans cheer on their favorite car from the stands or the television sets, Brother Alex Offenbach, Purdue ‘11, will be down in the pits assisting 2-time Indy 500 winner, Takuma Sato.

Brother Offenbach says he wasn’t looking to join a Fraternity as a freshman at Purdue. He had a close friend on campus who invited him to hang out one night, and it happened to be a rush event. He found that he really enjoyed hanging out with the Delta Sig brothers, noting that it didn’t feel like a “traditional frat house.” He found camaraderie among the brothers and a sense of ease to be himself.

Alex, a native Chicagoan, attended his first Indy 500 at the age of 13 with his father… and was hooked! He had always been mechanically minded, but from the moment the cars screamed by for the first time he set his sights on one day being a part of that race.

Brother Offenbach enrolled at Purdue certain he would become some type of engineer. His passion for racing helped bring him to this decision, but he also wanted to make sure he had a realistic skill to fall back on.

When asked what the most defining part of his Delta Sig experience was, he was quick to talk about the annual Purdue Grand Prix. So it was only natural when he became the Grand Prix Chair for Delta Sig.

When asked what the most defining part of his Delta Sig experience was, he was quick to talk about the annual Purdue Grand Prix. So it was only natural when he became the Grand Prix Chair for Delta Sig.

During his final year at Purdue, Alex placed 8th in the Grand Prix, the chapter’s second-best all-time placing. An even bigger accomplishment was qualifying both cars in the field of 33 the year before. While he learned so much from his hands-on experience with the go-karts, Alex notes that being Grand Prix Chair taught him so much more. From fundraising to striking partnerships with stakeholders, he learned all of the nuts and bolts that go into this philanthropic event to get the carts on the track.

After graduation, he was able to continue chasing his dreams working for the company that designs and certifies all of Indycar’s racetracks – NZR Consulting. Alex was fortunate enough to receive an engineering internship where he created CAD models for racing circuits used by IndyCar and other racing series. This was a pivotal foot in the door of the racing industry.

He worked for the United States Auto Club where he first started as a race official for the GenNext National .25 Midget Series and eventually worked his way up to Director of Competition for the International Electric Vehicle Grand Prix. Eventually, Alex was pleasantly surprised when NZR Consulting called him back to offer him a full-time position to help design new race tracks. “Race tracks aren’t just built every day,” he remarked, so he jumped at the opportunity.

Since, Brother Offenach has had the opportunity to work for the top teams in racing, assisting drivers such as Scott Dixon and Colton Herta. He worked for Andretti Autosport as a Damper Specialist and AJ Foyt Racing as a Systems Engineer. Now he is Assistant Engineer for Chip Ganassi Racing for the number 11 car of Takuma Sato.

Alex is grateful for his time at Purdue and his Delta Sig brothers that have led him to the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” He reflects that those years really helped prepare him for his career in the pits.

When asked what advice he would give to current undergraduate members, he spoke of tenacity and determination. “Never give up,” he said. “I am proud to be one of many to represent Purdue and Delta Sigma Phi at one of the most prestigious motorsports events in the world. I encourage every student to never give up on chasing their dreams.”